May is National Mental Health Awareness Month. Do you blog? The American Psychological Association is hosting a Mental Health Month Blog Day this Wednesday, May 15.

If you have a blog and are interested in participating, join the conversation by publishing a post that touches on some aspect of mental health. 

Visit  http://www.yourmindyourbody.org/mental-health-month-blog-day/ for more details.

We are pleased to inform you that Congress has finally taken action to halt the scheduled 26.5% Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) cut, preventing an untenable reduction in psychologist reimbursement that would have harmed patient access and undermined our nation's commitment to its seniors. To learn more CLICK HERE

                                                        Click HERE for more information on how to register.

In the coming weeks, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is expected to release the final rule on the 2013 Medicare fee schedule, which will include important information for psychologists who treat Medicare beneficiaries. There are four factors related to Medicare policy that could impact actual reimbursement rates for psychologists, three of which affect the entire range of services provided by psychologists. To learn more CLICK HERE

Click on the file below to view a chart of the new CPT codes

It is still time to renew dues.  
Click: http://www.mopaonline.org/join-renew-login.html

There you will find instructions on how to complete your initial login on the new website and complete your renewal.  Most of you will need to click on the blue button, “Returning Member: First Time on New Site.”  Your username is the same, but you will need to request a new password.  

Once you acquire a new password and login you will find the following choices:

1)  My Membership:  Pay your member dues, view & print a receipt of your dues payment.

2)  Update Your Profile:  Change your membership profile info for MOPA.  This is different from the Member Directory listed below.

3)  Manage My Addresses:  Add, Delete, or Indicate which address is billing, home or work.

4)  Change Password: Change your login password.

5)  Re-subscribe Email Blast:  Get back on the Listserv.

6)  Member Directory:  Update, Opt-Out, or Search the Member Directory.​

7)  Login Home: Returns you to the inital login page.

8)  Logout: You can choose this option from the drop down box above.

If you have any problems with the process please let us know at Admin@MOPAonline.org and we will assist you in completing the process.  Please note that since this is our first year for renewals on the new site we are working out any kinks and making tweaks and therefore request you let us know of any challenges or problems. Further, in an effort to modernize the process of membership renewals, all memberships will be processed online and not via hard copy.  You help save MOPA money and resources when you complete your renewal online.  Again, if this presents a challenge to you please contact us for assistance.  In addition, for members whose organization pays for their membership as a part of an employee benefit, we will be glad to provide you a receipt for your reimbursement from your institution.

Once you complete your renewal you will receive an email that will serve as your receipt stating your dues payment made and amount paid.  You can also still log on and print a receipt at any time.  (See number 1 above.)

Thanks for supporting MO Psychology!

There are two upcoming Eating Disorders Blue Ribbon Panels in MO.  Annie Seal, the coordinator, is still trying to find panelists for both markets.  The goal is to receive input from the community about eating disorders to consider having eating disorders as a covered health condition in Missouri.

Two MO Eating Disorders Blue Ribbon Panels titled "Let's Talk About It"  are scheduled for Warrensburg and Kansas City.  Panels will be conducted as round-table discussions on the various issues surrounding eating disorders.  If you have professional experience with eating disorders or have been personally affected, your voice is welcome. Please help us as as we strive to bring focus and attention to eating disorders.

July 25, Warrensburg, MO - 3:30pm - 5:00pm 
Johnson County Community Health Services - 723 PCA Road, Warrensburg, MO

July 26, Kansas City, MO - 9:30am - 12:00noon
Research Medical Center - 2316 East Meyer Blvd, Kansas City, MO

Please email Annie Seal at annieseal@sbcglobal.net to confirm your participation and let us know here at MOPA if you have reached out to Ms. Seal: CLICK HERE

For Immediate release July 11, 2012

Peachtree City, GA – The Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB) is pleased to announce that it has been selected to receive one of two Licensure Portability Grants offered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the amount of $349,785.00 each year for three (3) years. The primary purpose of this grant is to provide support for State professional licensing boards to carry out programs that will reduce statutory and regulatory barriers to telemedicine. The awarded grant funds will be used to continue the development and implementation of the ASPPB Psychology Licensure Universal System (PLUS).

As an integral means of addressing the barriers associated with telepsychology, ASPPB has developed an on-line application system, the PLUS, that can be used by any applicant who is seeking licensure, certification, or registration in any state, province, or territory in the United States or Canada that participates in the PLUS program. The PLUS also enables concurrent application for the ASPPB Certificate of Professional Qualification (CPQ) and the ASPPB Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC). All information collected as part of the application is deposited and saved in the Credentials Bank: a Credentials Verification & Storage Program (The BANK) where it can be accessed by the psychologist at a later date or forwarded to any other licensing board, organization, entity, or individual, upon request at any time in the future; therefore streamlining future licensing processes.
With the assistance of this grant from HRSA, ASPPB will be able to expand the number of ASPPB member jurisdictions using the PLUS online application, including storage of licensure related credentials for electronic transmission and later, to develop a specific program or mechanism to address the current cross-jurisdictional barriers to telepsychology.

A proposed implementing regulation to clarify the type of data the APA Commission on Accreditation (CoA) needs in order to make an accreditation decision on a doctoral program is now posted for public review and comment. The comment system will be open for this item through September 15, 2012 at the following URL:

                                      http://apaoutside.apa.org/AccredSurvey/Public/

The CoA will make the proposed changes available for a period of public review and comment. The public comment period is scheduled to begin on June 15, 2012 and continue through September 15, 2012. In an effort to promote thoughtful discussion, the CoA is providing an electronic-based comment form for public comment submission. Comments and other information, including the users’ identity, will be public. Email addresses used in the registration will be kept confidential.

Additionally, the three items released in April for public comment remain available on the system through July 16, 2012.

1)  Proposed IR D.4-7(b) threshold for percent of students accepted into an internship (Clinical and Counseling)

2)  Five (5) new proposed Section C IRs pertaining to the process used by the CoA for periodic and annual reviews of doctoral programs

3)  Proposed revisions to the Accreditation Operating Procedures (AOP) to allow for the preaccreditation statuses of “accreditation eligibility” and “contingent accreditation”  for internship and postdoctoral residencies

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation at apaaccred@apa.org

Office of Program Consultation and Accreditation
American Psychological Association
750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242
Tel: 202.336.5979 |  Fax: 202 336.5978
email: apaaccred@apa.org| www.apa.org

Grant Announcement

Please find the link to a Request for Proposals for the American Psychological Foundation's (APF) 2013 Pearson Early Career Grant, which encourages early career clinicians to work in an area of critical societal need. 

The grant recipient will receive $12,000 plus $1,500 for travel costs to attend the following year’s American Psychological Association (APA) Convention. The deadline for applications is December 31, 2012. 

Click HERE: https://docs.google.com/open?id=0ByU89UkDqAEXSHBDUDBvRHFIa1E